Our children are less connected to the natural world than at any other time in

history. The implications of this, particularly for their physical and mental health, are immense.

People have limited contact with natural environments.
This is likely due to a complex mix of factors, including changes in the physical and social environments as well as technological and economic changes.

Children’s lives have become increasingly structured and adult supervised.
Children spend less and less unsupervised time in the natural environment. Yet, they need unstructured playtime in outdoor settings. While playing on a team remains an important hallmark of childhood, it is not the same as playing outdoors. Outdoor free play, like climbing trees, building forts, peeking under the rocks next to the back steps, and splashing in puddles and streams, allows children to build on their natural curiosity, use their imagination and initiate activities; activities that encourage children to discover and learn about the world around them.

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